Schools demand national campaign against parents who are abusive to school staff

[noblegiraffe]

A survey suggests that 30% of classroom teachers and 75% of headteachers have received verbal abuse from parents this year, a marked increase on before the pandemic.

The North East Schools network would like to see a national NHS-style campaign to highlight the issue and to say that abuse against school staff is never appropriate. Given that there are many public places that have signs up saying 'abuse against staff will not be tolerated' it always surprises me that this is not already a thing in schools.

Interestingly the article notes "While most interactions with parents were positive, there were small groups of parents “willing to be abusive towards school staff” – including complaints straight to external government agencies.
These bodies, such as Ofsted, the Department for Education and the Education and Skills Funding Agency “should only get involved once the school has completed their complaints procedure”."

Perhaps all those on here who rush to write 'complain to Ofsted' about some school incident should take note that they are part of the problem.

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-demand-national-campaign-against-abusive-parents/

It seems like some people are confusing raising legitimate complaints with threatening staff/schools in a bid to get their own way.

It isn't rocket science:

• if someone has a legitimate complaint or concern then there's ways to raise it, and some schools may need to improve signposting to their complaints procedures. Common sense goes a long way in most cases though.
• a parent having a strop, threatening staff, trying to use Ofsted as a way of intimidating staff to jump to their tune is totally unacceptable.

Spend 10/15 minutes on school threads on here and you see the sort of intimidatory behaviour recommended where some posters will claim doing X/Y/Z will force the school to back down, threaten Ofsted, turn up at school and refuse to leave, demand to see Chair of Governors or the Head there and then and so on all in the name of proving you mean business. It's no wonder that some children have the same sort of approach (you can't do... I'll get you sacked... My mum/dad says I don't have to and you can't make me... I'll tell my mum/dad that you (insert fake version of events here))when this is how their parents behave.

Teachers know that those complaints will come to nothing, so there is no need to worry.

But that's utter bollocks. Of course teachers worry about complaints.

This has summarised my feelings much better than I ever could.

Since academisation there is an epidemic of unlawful behaviour in schools towards SEND pupils, including failures to follow the Equality Act, illegal off-rolling, illegal register markings of mental health conditions as unauthorised absence, unlawful exclusions and failure to take best endeavours to meet EHCP plans. SEND pulils are being failed on an epic scale and as well as being subjected to Dickensian punishments for situations arising from a disability, resulting in psychological harm. There is less regulation and protection for young people in schools, than youths receive in the criminal justice system.

Some school and academy leaderships have taken the reduction in transparency and accountability and the introduction of business incentives, to abandon a moral compass and pursue their own interests at the cost of safeguarding vulnerable pupils and abiding by the laws of the land. This is the definition of corruption. A very bright light needs shining on academies and leadership teams who behave in this way. Ofsted is one of the few ways of holding school/academy leaders to account. Public servants should expect checks and balances on their conduct and not to exercise absolute power over their fellow citizens without accountability.

Where did I say someone said that?

I was reenforcing my points. Ofsted complaints are not innately abusive.

Recommending Ofsted is not innately abusive.

However, op states that anyone recommending Ofsted needed to consider they are part problem. Not ‘if you are recommending using Ofsted to abuse teachers, you are part of the problem’. Just a blanket statement that recommending Ofsted is, itself, abusive.

So actually, yes, Op suggested that complaints to Ofsted or recommending them is inciting abuse. Inciting abuse is abusive.

It's a bit off for complaining that parents are being abusive for contacting ofsted ...because ofsted is abusive. Then suggest that the best way to deal with the abusiveness of ofsted is to convince parents that it is abusive to contact ofsted.

Who is saying it’s acceptable?
Ofsted isn’t the Spanish Inquisition fgs. Saying the name isn’t verbal abuse. Sending a complaint to them isn’t abusive, it doesn’t trigger anything apart for a redirection to the proper channels.

“You haven’t listened to me, so I’m going to contact Ofsted” isn’t abusive.
Not saying anything but contacting Ofsted isn’t abuse by stealth.
”You need to fucking listen to me or I’m going to fucking Ofsted you stupid prick” is abusive.

You should re-read the quote and try to understand what is being said instead of twisting it to serve your narrative.

@noblegiraffe
Oh for goodness sake. I work with headteachers. I suspect you might be one as you are very defensive and I'm not really sure why. I came on your thread as it's interesting.

Yes, in the course of my 18 years working directly with headteachers I have encountered a few who have been abusive and unpleasant to deal with. Only one has called me useless. Not all are pleasant. Is that enough of an explanation for you? Do I owe you any further explanation as to one / two / a few?

However, op states that anyone recommending Ofsted needed to consider they are part problem. Not ‘if you are recommending using Ofsted to abuse teachers, you are part of the problem’. Just a blanket statement that recommending Ofsted is, itself, abusive.

I said 'part of the problem'. Not 'in itself abusive'.

Any teacher on MN knows that 'complain to Ofsted' is wheeled out with tedious regularity to incidents where it is completely inappropriate.

If complaints to Ofsted are increasing, and Ofsted have noted this, and that the complaints that are increasing are not appropriate, then there is an issue with how parents are viewing their relationship with schools.

Suggesting parents complain to Ofsted at the drop of a hat is part of an antagonistic view of the parent-school relationship which is not helpful.

Also as a professional it's not appropriate to complain to the chair of governors. We would address at a higher level.

Rappelletoi
I agree with you on the academies front and have my own concerns about many of those issues.
I'd always advise a parent with concerns to report concerns to the most appropriate member of staff, escalate as required and then contact outside agencies should a resolution not happen.

It's entirely anecdotal, but in my experience the parents affected by those sorts of situations are not the ones shouting about how they're reporting the school to Ofsted.They're the ones who get legal advice and consider taking legal action against the school, and are in touch with advocacy groups who know what they're talking about, and might end up putting in a complaint to Ofsted because Ofsted is the most appropriate place for it, but they're not the ones using Ofsted as a gotcha to intimidate staff. I appreciate that's just my experience though.

Teachers said that this was going to happen when the government started to push for academies.

How anyone couldn't see that removing whole sections of those that made schools and teachers responsible was a bad thing is beyond me.

But then it was once again passed off as teachers whinging.

You don't think some parents are using 'I'm going to complain to Ofsted' as a threat to school staff?

Fine, do that then.

I'm not sure how you've decided that me telling you to complain about the headteachers who have insulted you in work meetings is 'defensive'.

Complaints that have skipped the necessary steps? Complaints that will be redirected by Ofsted? That will have zero impact on the school, SLT or Headteacher because Ofsted aren’t there to settle individual disputes between school and parent and will tell the parent that while informing them of the correct steps to take?

Why would a teacher worry about that, seriously? Maybe there needs to be an awareness campaign for teachers about the role of Ofsted if so many think like that.

@Rappelletoi

Those are judgements made a senior levels. How is it fair for teaching assistants and teachers to cop abuse for rules they didn’t make? We are all stretched to breaking point- I would not be surprised if the school building issues aren’t the tip of a tidal wave that will close many more schools.

The government need holding to account for this, not the teachers working away to try to make a tiny amount of provision stretch further than it can go!

Why would a teacher worry about that, seriously?

Because teachers cannot rely on being supported by management? Because teachers know that their job is precarious, particularly if they are expensive? Because a teacher may be inexperienced and not know how these things go? Because it is human to worry about complaints being made against you?

As a parent I’ve been on the other end at school … I’ve been on the receiving end of nasty behaviour from head of year 9. Awful bloody man, well known among pupils and parents for his disgustingly horrid behaviour. Weak head. If he was ever verbally or physically hurt I really couldn't find any sympathy for him.

Because you made a strange comment about "first it was one, now it's a few". Which is just a bizarre thing to say

Then perhaps the N.E network should campaign for better support for teachers instead of a campaign that won't change the behaviour of abusive parents and acts to cast suspicion of ill intent on those parents who have been genuinely failed through the whole complaints procedure?

Because you came on here and complained about one headteacher calling you useless and I pointed out you were trying to extrapolate from that one headteacher, then it was more than one.

I'm still not sure what your point is.

Agreed @LolaSmiles. SEND parents know the value of the home/school relationship and tend to turn to Ofsted with a heavy heart, when all other avenues have been exhausted, typically remaining courteous throughout. To suggest there is anything intrinsically wrong with making a complaint to a regulatory body is more evidence of a bunker mentality and lack of respect for the social contract schools operate within.

I think it's been made pretty clear on this thread that it is parents bypassing the complaints procedure and going straight to Ofsted who are being discussed, not 'parents who have been failed by the complaints procedure'.

Whatever individual examples or experiences some posters are coming up with the facts remain:

-Abuse has increased
-There is a teacher shortage in many areas

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